Page 56 of Verses

“Oh,” he said, finally looking up from his phone to stare at me with an expression so cool, I felt like I was getting frostbite. “But youdohave something you want to talk about.”

“Yeah.” I let out a slow breath of air. Anymore, nothing was ever easy with this guy. “I don’t care what you do in your room—but could you help me keep it clean in the common areas?”

His blue eyes sparkled as I imagined he was weighing the consequences of several different responses. “Common areas. Like we have visitors.”

“Are you telling me I imagined that girl in your room the other night?”

The way his pupils grew larger before the lids narrowed gave away that he’d somehow thought I hadn’t heard everything.

Before he could stammer or defend himself, I said, “These walls are barely thicker than a sheet of paper, Kyle. I couldn’t help overhearing.”

Were his cheeks turning pink? “Sorry. I thought you were asleep.”

Although his fucking around not long after our breakup maybe should have hurt me, it didn’t. After all, I was becoming more enamored with Wolf by the day, even though I was starting to doubt anything would come of it. “You don’t have to apologize—but you guys were ridiculously noisy and I had to work the next day.”

“It won’t happen again.”

“Stop. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.”

“Anyway,” he said, his voice dripping with irritation, telling me this was a dead subject, “you were saying?”

Okay, so talking about the woman was off limits.Fine.“I’d just like you to pick up after yourself. That’s all.”

“I do.”

“Really?” The challenge was on. I’d tried to be nice, tried to ask in a nonconfrontational way but Kyle, as usual, had to escalate our conversation. “What about those?” I asked, pointing to the empty aluminum soda cans at the sink.

“I would have already put them in the fucking recycle bin if you didn’t insist on me rinsing them first. So they’re there until I do.”

“And when will that be?”

“I don’t fucking know, Hayley. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m working forty-plus hours a week—in addition to all the band stuff you’re having us do.”

Wait.What?“That’s notme, Kyle. That’s all of us—on a schedule we all agreed to. And we’re working our asses off so we can somedayjustcreate music. Are you not on board with that anymore?”

“You guys all decided the fucking schedule without me.”

“Are you kidding me?” I asked, standing, the fury rising toward my throat like a once-dormant volcano ready to blow. “You agreed to it—and I didn’t hear you ever offer any alternatives.”

“Nobody asked.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you using again?”

“No, I told you that!” he yelled, also jumping to his feet. “I haven’t touchedshitsince I got out of rehab. You know that.”

“No, I really don’t. ‘Cause you might be off the junk, but you still act like you’re on it.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“It means exactly what it sounds like. When you were high, you were all peaceful. Quiet. Like you were in a state of bliss and didn’t want to come off the cloud. But as that feeling would wear off, you’d be such an inconsiderate asshole. Like now.”

“I’m being an inconsiderate asshole because you won’t get off my back.”

“Is it really so hard cleaning up after yourself? Like putting your shaver away in the bathroom or hanging up your towel? Do you think that’s my job or something?”

He grabbed my shoulders, squeezing them, and—not for the first time, I felt fear. Kyle towered over me, his eyes full of fury, his jaw clenched, and I could feel the waves of hatred coming off him. God, how stupid and naïve I’d been thinking we could be friends.

“Let go, Kyle. That hurts.”

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